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Royal Agricultural University

UCAS Code: D450 | Foundation Degree in Science - FdSc

Entry requirements

A level

C,D

Access to HE Diploma

M:15

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

24

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

MPP

UCAS Tariff

56

About this course

Course option

2years

Full-time | 2025

Subject

Ecology

The effective conservation of species, ecosystems and natural resources is vital for future sustainable development, and the need for conservation professionals is ever increasing. On this course you will gain the academic knowledge, applied ecological theory and extensive hands on field experience needed to manage habitats and conserve wildlife. You will also enrich your knowledge by exploring wider topics such as rewilding, environmental issues, agri-environment schemes, and the work of conservation organisations. With this combination of academic knowledge, practical skills and work experience, it’s no wonder that our graduates have gone on to work for prestigious organisations such as The Wildlife Trust, The National Trust and The Forestry Commission.

**Course structure**
You will gain practical rural skills training through our Rural Innovation Centre at Harnhill Manor Farm with the cost included in the tuition fee. Right from your first year, you will gain grounding in work-related situations as well as academic study before developing a deeper understanding of the key issues in your second year. You will be assessed through field reports, research projects, examinations, case studies, portfolios, presentations and practical skills.

**Work placement and industry relevance**
You will complete a 30-day work placement usually during the summer between your first and second year. This will give you essential skills and experience of wildlife and environmental management activities within the sector. There are numerous field visits to conservation sites and organisations. Previous destinations include Knepp Estate to study rewilding, Rhossili Bay for coastal management, Royal Botanic Garden, Kew for plant conservation, and many more, as well as regular local nature reserve and farmland visits.

Modules

Year one
1007 Soil and Environmental Science
1421 Species and Ecosystems
1422 Ecosystem Services and Sustainability
1430 Wildlife Ecology and Survey
1431 Wildlife Handling, ethics and conservation
1434 Introduction to Environment, Wildlife and Heritage
1436 Practical Conservation Skills & Work Placement
Year two
2136 Landscape Conservation
2349 Resilience of Agroecosystems
2360 Supervisory Skills & Volunteer Management
2361 Habitat Classification & Management
2362 Environmental data and research skills
2363 Biodiversity Conservation
2365 Education, recreation and access
2366 Conservation Science Study Tour
Disclaimer information
The University has established various rules and regulations that you must agree to and follow if you accept an offer to study with us. View our full disclaimer notice.

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

Channel Islands
£9,535
per year
England
£9,535
per year
EU
£16,950
per year
International
£16,950
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,535
per year
Republic of Ireland
£9,535
per year
Scotland
£9,535
per year
Wales
£9,535
per year

The Uni

Course location:

Royal Agricultural University

Department:

Department of Environment (CL)

Read full university profile

What students say

We've crunched the numbers to see if the overall teaching satisfaction score here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.

80%
Ecology

How do students rate their degree experience?

The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Ecology and environmental biology

Sorry, no information to show

This is usually because there were too few respondents in the data we receive to be able to provide results about the subject at this university.


Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

96%
UK students
4%
International students
63%
Male students
37%
Female students

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

B
D
B

After graduation

The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Ecology

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

85%
med
Employed or in further education
60%
med
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

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This is the percentage of applicants to this course who received an offer last year, through Ucas.

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Course location and department:

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Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):

We've received this information from the Department for Education, via Ucas. This is how the university as a whole has been rated for its quality of teaching: gold silver or bronze. Note, not all universities have taken part in the TEF.

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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).

This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.

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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.

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Post-six month graduation stats:

This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.

It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.

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Graduate field commentary:

The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show

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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?

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